Vol. 3, Issue 1 - August, 1792

   

Volume 3, Issue 1 - August, 1792

     This issue of Ladies Magazine aims to show how marriage allows women to live a full life. There are articles on happiness, the nature of sleep, the problems of family pride, and more. Knowing about these things are all essential to living a full and happy life, especially when paired with marriage. Through letters and articles, the editors teach women how they can live a more fulfilling life and how marriage can help them accomplish that, which would be particularly influential to younger girls.
     One article entitled “Thoughts on Women by a Celebrated Writer” discusses men's superiority over women. The author writes that when both sexes are young, girls are actually superior to boys. However, as the boys continue in their education, they gain more advantages over the girls who finished their educations much earlier. The author says,
  "He has all the foundations of knowledge opened up to him; interest to stimulate
him to exercise his part; rivals to emulate; opponents to conquer. - His talents
are always on the stretch. To this he adds the advantage of travel; and if he even
should not go abroad, he can enter into an infinite number of houses frequently,
when she can be permitted to go into but few ... It is impossible for a woman to
have these advantages" (112).
The article continues on to say that women are more sentimental than men and that they love strongly. Men are selfish and only love themselves. Women, on the other hand, forget everything except the man they love. The author writes that a married woman "lived but 'in' that husband" (113). Her soul becomes a part of him. This shows how encouraged women were to find a husband. They would live a more meaningful life once they get married and have children.
Another artifact is called "A Short Sermon on Marriage." This piece discusses how marriage can be a beautiful thing, but only if you pick the right man. There must be both a union of hands and souls, passion with a basis of friendship and mutual love, mutual joy and satisfaction, etc. Once you find someone who you share these qualities with, the author says,
"Marriage is that mystical union of soul and body which produces happiness
superlatively great, and the basis and support of every constitution ... Marriage
is that wife institution, which affords us an opportunity of gratifying our most
ardent passions in an honourable and laudable manner, and sweetens every
enjoyment and pleasure this life can afford" (108).
This piece also greatly exemplifies how women were told that marriage would be the greatest thing to happen to them. Once they got married, everything would be wonderful.
From a young age, girls were always taught that their purpose in life was to get married and have children. This was what young woman needed to do in order to live a meaningful life, and this issue of Ladies Magazine reinforces that idea. If unmarried women were to read this volume, they would definitely feel the pressure to get married and believe that marriage was all they needed to be happy.

-Cate Eschmann